Like a hunter from Paddra
by Cissmoll
Summary: A one-shot where Lightning tries to teach Noel how to swim. Post-LR, Noel/Lightning.


"Would you just calm down?" Lightning hissed after almost getting elbowed in the chin. "Humans float, okay? Just let the water carry you."

"It didn't carry me that time in Valhalla," Noel grumbled, trying to make his body to relax in the cold water of the lake. He was trying to float on his back but every time his body reached a horizontal position he would begin to panic, feeling like the lake would pull him under the surface and swallow him whole.

"That was different," Lightning said, keeping a steady hand on the small of his back. "Besides, if you sink I'll just pull you up again. Trust me."

Back in the old world, Noel had lived in Paddra. He'd been a hunter – a hunter on _land. _He'd always avoided deep water, deeming it an unnecessary risk. As a result, he'd never learned how to swim. When they'd all joined the new world this had quickly turned into a nuisance – an embarrassing nuisance, even. He'd turned down uncountable numbers of invitations to the beach and the rest of the gang had started to wonder. So, he'd decided that he would simply have to learn how to swim. After almost drowning a couple of times he'd realized that swimming wasn't something you just learned on your own – that he would need someone to teach him.

Noel had thought about asking Serah to teach him, but he hadn't been certain whether or not she'd be able to save him from drowning if things got messy. She was strong for her size, but she was still petite. If he'd actually start panicking in the water, he knew he'd probably just pull her down with him.

His next plan had been to ask one of the guys. Then, he'd realized how much they – especially Snow – would make fun of him if they knew he couldn't swim. He'd decided that it simply wasn't worth it.

In the end, he'd asked Lightning to help him. She was strong and calm, and she'd saved him from drowning before. In theory, picking her had definitely been the best choice. In theory, he hadn't considered the extremely distracting phenomenon known as _Lightning in a bikini_.

Her bikini was black and simple, fitting her athletic body perfectly. The sun was creating beautiful highlights in her damp, pink hair, and Noel suddenly noticed that her eyes were in the exact same shade of blue as the water of the lake. She was stunning and tremendously distracting.

"Concentrate," Lightning said with a frown, pulling Noel out of his thoughts. "Close your eyes and let the water carry you."

Noel nodded and leaned back in the water again, closing his eyes. With the help of Lightning's steadying hand he managed to make his body float, his feet reaching the surface. He still felt like he'd sink any minute, but he managed to keep his body still.

"You're doing great," Lightning said. "See? As long as you relax, I promise you won't sink."

Noel nodded again, listening to the calming sound of her voice. His body had grown accustomed to the chilly water, and the summer sun was warming up his face and chest. The more he relaxed, the more confident he felt. Lightning had been right; the water did carry him. He smiled, slowly opening his eyes.

"Hey, Light, thanks for-"

Lightning was no longer by his side. He gasped, panic taking a hold of his body. He tried to keep himself floating but the water was no longer holding him up. Seconds later he was under water, disoriented and unsure what was up and down. _I'm dying, _he thought, panic taking over his mind. _I'm drowning. I'm dying. I'm-_

Two strong hands grabbed him under his arms and pulled him up through the water.

"Come on. The water is shallow enough for me to reach the bottom and you're taller than me. You could have just stood up," Lightning said, once again by his side.

"What the hell?" Noel yelled, his heart still pounding hard in his chest. "Where did you go? I could have drowned!"

Lightning shrugged. "I just wanted to show you that you were floating on your own," she explained calmly, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "I was just a few meters away. I'd never let anything happen to you."

Noel clenched his jaw, trying to get his heavy breathing under control. His feet were back on the sandy lakebed but he was still feeling a bit shaky. He shook his wet hair out of his eyes and glared at Lightning, whose calm was beginning to annoy him.

"Are you sulking now? You're acting like a kid," Lightning said, crossing her arms. "You're a hunter from Paddra. Act like it."

Noel's patience snapped. He took a step forward, his angry glare turning into something more predatory. "There are two things you should know about hunters from Paddra," he said, his voice no louder than a murmur as he slowly approached her. "The first thing is that we always avoid unnecessary risks."

Lightning stood frozen in place, unsure how to react to the sudden change of atmosphere. "What's the second thing?" she asked breathlessly.

"The second thing you need to know about hunters from Paddra," he continued, placing a hand on the nape of her neck, "is that when we want something, we take it."

He bent down and kissed her hard on the lips. She gasped in surprise, and Noel took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. He wrapped his free arm around her waist, pulling her closer. Her lips, soft and inexperienced, began to kiss him back after a moment of hesitation.

When Noel pulled away, Lightning's cheeks were flushed in a deep shade of pink.

"I'm a hunter from Paddra," he said, a smug grin on his lips. "Don't forget it."

He turned around and started wading through the water, heading back towards the beach. Before leaving the water, he decided to cast a final glance over his shoulder. Lightning was still frozen in place, staring at him in shock. Her lips were parted and the blush on her cheeks had deepened in color, now more red than pink. Noel's grin widened as he realized that swimming lessons might not be the only thing he wanted from Lightning Farron.


End file.
